On January 16, 1786, the Virginia legislature enacted a law whose
impact is still felt around the world today. Authored by Thomas Jefferson
and introduced by James Madison, this act affirmed religious freedom as
one of the "natural rights of mankind" and pledged that none would "suffer
on account of his religious opinions or beliefs."

Recognizing the fundamental importance of this right to human
dignity, our founders modeled the First Amendment to our Constitution on
the Virginia statute and made religious freedom and tolerance core values
of our democracy. More than a century and a half later, Eleanor Roosevelt,
as the Chairperson of the U.N.'s Commission on Human Rights, worked to
extend that vision to peoples around the world through her contributions
to the U.N.'s Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Americans draw great strength from the free exercise of religion
and from the diverse communities of faith that flourish in our Nation because
of it. Our churches, mosques, synagogues, meetinghouses, and other places
of worship bring us together, support our families, nourish our hearts
and minds, and sustain our deepest values. Our religious beliefs give direction
to our lives and provide moral guidance in the daily decisions we make.

Freedom of religion, however, still has enemies. In America in
recent years, churches and synagogues have been destroyed by arson and
people have been attacked because of their religious affiliation. Across
the globe, many people still live in countries where the right to religious
freedom is restricted or even prohibited. Some totalitarian and authoritarian
regimes actively persecute those who seek to practice their religion, imprisoning,
torturing, and even killing men and women because of their faith. Other
governments monitor and harass religious minorities, tolerating and even
encouraging hostility or acts of violence against them.

My Administration is committed to safeguarding freedom of religion
at home and promoting it around the globe. Federal, State, and local law
enforcement officials are working in partnership to prosecute and prevent
crimes aimed at people because of their religious affiliation, and I have
called on the Congress to pass the Hate Crimes Prevention Act to strengthen
the Federal Government's ability to combat such crimes. On the international
front, we have made issues of religious liberty a consistent and fundamental
part of our public diplomacy. My Ambassador at Large for International
Religious Freedom and his staff have crisscrossed the globe, from China
and Uzbekistan to Laos and Russia, to advance religious freedom and to
assist those who are being persecuted for their beliefs. In accordance
with the International Religious Freedom Act that I signed into law in
1998, the United States recently published the first annual report on the
status of religious freedom worldwide and publicly designated the most
severe international violators. This report highlights the many crucial
efforts of individuals and agencies in the Federal Government to advocate
religious freedom abroad, from negotiating with foreign heads of state
to pursuing individual cases of persecution or discrimination.

As we observe Religious Freedom Day this year, let us give thanks
for the wisdom of America's founders in protecting our precious right to
express our beliefs and practice our faith freely and openly. Let us resolve
to be vigilant in defending that freedom and teaching tolerance in our
homes, schools, communities, and workplaces. And let us continue to lead
the world in assisting those who are persecuted because of their religious
faith and in proclaiming the rights and dignity of every human being.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United
States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution
and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 16, 2000,
as Religious Freedom Day. I call upon the people of the United States to
observe this day with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs,
and I urge all Americans to reaffirm their devotion to the fundamental
principles of religious freedom and tolerance.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth
day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the Independence
of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fourth.